


Ways of Death

by AlmostLucy



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Holidays, Fluff and Crack, M/M, Multi, slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-28
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-02-27 08:30:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2686073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlmostLucy/pseuds/AlmostLucy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles in which Rin, Nitori and Sousuke are representations of Halloween, Day of the Dead and All Souls' Day respectively and Nitori grew to be less clingy and passive with Rin and Sousuke's teasing thorough the centuries. </p><p>This is how they lead their lives after death as guardians of their Holidays.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Love and Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Cause I once did a homework with Holidays and decided to use Nitori and Rin-- I eventually came up with and AU and then Sousuke joined the wagon (so I haven't drawn him yet). 
> 
> But you can check Nitori and Rin here: [Bananodayo in Tumblr](http://bananodayo.tumblr.com/post/103830973162/) (My tumblr is definitely NSFW in case you decide to follow)

It was a quiet full moon night. The gloomy pumpkin patch shone eerily under the moonlight. The night sky was clear, with thousands of stars sparkling up high. The mystic place far from any human’s prying eyes, occasionally would break its silence by a passing bat until a pair of voices broke in.

“Everybody loves Halloween.” The half-masked man stated. 

“People celebrate Day of the Dead as well!” A little boy retorted back, annoyed. 

This was just a regular discussion between Halloween and Day of the Dead. Usual stuff, really. 

“Thousands of people commemorate their deceased and bring flowers to their graves!” 

“Millions celebrate Halloween all around the world just for trick or treat.” Rin smirked, showing off his line of sharp teeth. 

Nitori blushed annoyed staring up at the floating boy a few meters in front of him. Rin always got him easily riled up. He was such a tease, but he was also very true. 

Ai just crossed his arms in defeat and stared at the creepy boy in front of him. He actually looked pretty cool to him, and he could totally understand why would others enjoy Halloween much more. 

A white mask covered half his face; devil wings adorned his head, while his violet hair rested over one of his shoulders in a messy ponytail. Dark blood drips matched his pale face and uncanny appearance, making his striped suit seem more spooky than formal. 

“Just because you are more popular doesn’t mean I’m not important.” Nitori finally replied. 

Rin let out a creepy laugh in his Halloween fashion that made Nitori shiver. He was really fond of teasing the little boy, who was clad in a dark dress and a corset lined with red. Laced gloves covered most of his arms, a big red jewel wrapped around his neck and a crown of yellow flowers rested on his head along a dark veil. 

It was amusing to believe that somehow Day of the Dead had ended up being a boy this time. How could he not tease him? 

“Of course.” Rin replied, smirking wider. In the blink of an eye, he hovered in front of Ai and pecked him before he had time to react. 

To watch at how Nitori’s face turned a thousand shades of red despite all his traditional face paint was what he lived for. 

“D-don’t mock me!” Nitori snapped and turned around disappearing into a gate of shadows, making his swift escape. 

Halloween was just left alone laughing to his amused self.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise Sousuke will join soon, just wait for it <33
> 
> I feel these boys deserve some more attention and they are my ot3 
> 
> Idk, I might come up with a plot later if you guys like this AU.


	2. World's Collide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Origins of traditions and such are not 100% accurate! These are crack drabbles!

Nitori sat on the top of a cold, rock grave, staring down at the twinkling candles that adorned the entire graveyard and covered it with a warm dim light. The sky was clear and there was a full moon. The wind blew gently and everything was calm. It was just the peace he was looking for. He hugged his own knees and took a deep breath, relaxing. 

“What is Day of the Dead looking so depressed for? Thought you’d be used to death by now.” A voice suddenly surged from somewhere behind. 

“Of course, I should have guessed all these candles were yours, Soul.” Nitori groaned and left down his legs, turning to meet the boy with his stare.

And yes, he was there. A tall, dark haired man, pale as the moon, yet awfully handsome inside that jet-black suit was standing right next to him. He was All Souls’ Day, or Sousuke, as he had come to learn his true name. 

“There were no flowers from the lovely Dead, so I left mine.” Sousuke side-smiled, teasingly. 

“We are both in charge of the same task: to watch over the dead. I figured I could leave some work to you too.” Nitori defended himself. 

“Such a hardworking boy. You are just a copy of me, though.” 

“Not true!” Ai groaned. “We celebrate the same day but our traditions come from very different places!” He added almost pouting like a child. 

“But still, I’m way older than you. Where’s the respect to your ‘senpai’?” Sousuke specially remarked that last word that Nitori used to say a lot many centuries ago. He hovered closer. 

“Long gone! You guys have never been nice to me since I came around!” Ai excused himself.

“How can we control ourselves when you act this cute whenever we tease you?” Sousuke reached out for Nitori with a hand, cupping his face and making him face him. 

Ai blushed madly, not being able to hold his stare for too long. Those teal eyes as deep as the ocean seemed to eerily glow under the moon and the darkness of the night. However, he didn’t pull back. 

“So, now it’s all my fault?” Nitori retorted. 

“Of course.” Sousuke replied and leaned forward to peck him on the lips. 

“H-Hey!” Ai finally reacted backing off and almost falling off the grave he sat on. He covered his face with a hand and jumped back to his feet. 

“You two are unbelievable! Just the same!” he scoffed, though his face was turning a dark shade of red. He turned around and ran into his portal to leave, listening to Sousuke’s soft snicker in the background. 

“The same, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like keeping Sousuke cool, but still as teasing as Rin jdlkfsd


	3. Kings and Queens

Chapter #3 – Kings and Queens

Rin lazily laid on a dark throne at the top of a twisted tower. Of course, he had a mansion of sorts in the middle of his pumpkin patch dimension. It was a wicked and eerie mansion located at the top of a big hill, from where he could see everything and beyond his realm. 

The huge yellow moon shone in the sky as he stared down at the rows of overgrown pumpkins with carved scary faces, vines tangled with graves and the twinkling lights of candles placed inside them. Everything was dead silent. 

Dead silent. Rin made himself chuckle softly at the expression. 

He wasn’t startled in the least when he heard bats flutter by and the sound of steps drawing closer. 

“Hey, Soul.” Rin teased, recognizing the footsteps. 

“Call me Sousuke, Hollow.” Sousuke replied, and stopped at the side of Rin’s oversized chair. 

“I’ll be guessing he ran away from you too? With just one kiss?” The violet-haired boy asked grinning, showing off a line of sharp teeth. 

“Jealous?” The taller man asked, running a hand on Rin’s cheek and stealing a swift kiss from him. 

“Knock it off!” Rin shifted on his seat to get away from the touch, his pale face picking up some color, which only made the other one laugh softly. 

“I was away longer than you, though. I got the best time yet.” Sousuke smirked back. 

“Screw it! It’s just because of my attire, I guess I scare him faster.” Rin crossed his arms. It was obvious it was because he was rougher and impatient. 

It had turned into some kind of competition lately. They had started to see who could spend the longest with Nitori and steal the most kisses. It was just a friendly rivalry, trying to see who could be the first to get the boy to admit and confess. 

It was no news that both Rin and Sousuke fancied Nitori, and they had agreed to welcome him into their circle. At the beginning, it had been just the both of them, but when Day of the Death appeared, their mystic world definitely turned more interesting.

As Rin rested his head on his hand, supported by his elbow against one of the armrests, Sousuke sat on the other armrest and stared at the landscape. 

“We have to be patient.” Sousuke stated.

“I’m not.” Rin replied sharply, sighing a few seconds later. “Is it possible to love two at the same time?” 

“Aren’t we the answer to that?” Sousuke answered with another question. 

“Good one.” Rin smirked slightly and placed an arm across Sousuke’s lap, since he was over his armrest.

Both shared a long, quiet moment of comfortable silence. They enjoyed each other’s company, longing for a certain third someone to join their side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yes, Rin and Sousuke were together before Nitori arrived-- we'll get to see more of that later. 
> 
> ...So so busy with school Q n Q


	4. Day of the Dead

Nitori resided in his own realm, where no one else could enter without his permission. A cemetery covered all of the endless land submerged in an eternal night. The big bright moon shone up in the sky with scarce gray clouds. The night shimmered with a pale blue light, but in contrast to the melancholic feeling of the dark, the tombstones were all dressed in colorful yellow and orange flowers, colorful decorations in pink and other bright colors, candles, sugar skeletons and coins. 

Ai smiled to himself while watching over his land. This sort of dead wasn’t as depressing as humans would believe. Actually, the Day of the Dead was rather festive and happy. He really liked it. 

Straightening the ends of his mandatory dressing, Nitori shifted on his seat. His home was rather humble in comparison to Rin’s huge mansion. He had arranged a small wooden house in the middle of his cemetery. Small and cozy, full of candles with a yellow, warm light, just what he needed to feel at home. It was a place where he could relax in silence. 

It had been centuries since he became Day of the Dead and he was already used to his job, but he couldn’t help but go back to his human memories, which Rin and Sousuke told him he would eventually let go and forget. To become Day of the Dead he had to die. Nitori had died as a human and become some mythical figure. 

He could still remember it, though vaguely. Flashes of memories in black and white crossed his mind as he recalled his last day on Earth. The sensation of water down his throat as he tried to breath and the coldness spreading though his body, the desperation that took over him at those final moments. It was a difficult memory to assimilate even now. He had drowned in a cold river in November. 

Nitori could also remember his first day as Day of the Dead; it had happened to him in the blink of an eye. One second he was drowning in a river of Earth and the next one he had managed to emerge from the waters of a lake and gasp for air, but he wasn’t in Earth anymore. 

Struggling to the edge of the lake, he had crawled out of the water while coughing the liquid that infiltrated his lungs. He was cold and his whole body shivered. He had noticed his clothes were gone and his skin was as white as a sheet of paper. He started to freak out looking around at an endless empty land, except for a single female figure that approached him. That was when he met Death. 

Death had been the one who took his life, but at the same time gifted him a second life. Death had been the one to choose him for Day of the Dead, and even though she seemed cruel and cold, she had also been warm and caring. Apparently, Death didn’t have a shape. Death had appeared to Rin and Sousuke long ago, but he or she had appeared in a different way to each of them. To Nitori, Death had been a lovely lady with long, curled dark hair and skeleton face paint in a beautiful dress that picked him up and taught him the basics of what he had to do. And just as strangely as she had appeared, the mysterious Death disappeared in the blink of an eye after her task was done. 

It took Nitori a lot to adapt to his new role. One day he was a normal, unimportant human, and the next one he was some sort of eternal mythical figure with a job. But all in all, he had done a good job so far. He had even gotten used to wearing those dresses and flowers with pride, taking care of those souls under his domain. Surprisingly, it was an endearing job, even if he wasn’t allowed to check on humans to figure out what had happened to him or his family after his death. It was a mystery that he would never know. 

Then he thought about Rin and Sousuke… he had met them in his first few days after Death left and they had stayed around him ever since. At first, he looked up at them as his superiors and mentors, he even called them ‘senpais’ out of respect, but that didn’t last long. 

He could remember the very first day he met them and how they tried to look up his skirt just to check he was indeed a guy. Just thinking about them was frustrating, but in the end, he couldn’t really hate them. In fact, he had grown attached to them despite the teasing and all their assaults. They were in a similar situation, they could understand each other, but most importantly, he wasn’t stuck alone for eternity, he had company.

Nitori smiled to himself. Actually, his current situation wasn’t as bad. He couldn’t complain in the least. He was happy with were he was right now and how things had happened. But boy, he had to do something about those two guys trying to break in into his realm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I could turn these drabbles into an actual story with plot<33  
> Idk, I'll think about it, the AU world seems to have potential hehehe  
> What do you think?


End file.
